Mario game

When playing New Super Mario Bros. Wii, it’s hard not to feel that way. Last week, I checked out the upcoming platformer with Nintendo’s Bill Trinen and saw a bit more of the game’s levels, coming away with a better sense of where the new title is going.

For the uninitiated and those who saw it at E3, the game comes across as another Mario game with multiplayer, but those with a keener sense of the series will detect a little Super Mario Bros. 3 running through the game. Frankly, it’s easy to tell when you’re fighting the Koopalings all over again.

The levels I saw included a water stage where the new ice flower power-up had a powerful effect. The new item lets Mario shoot ice balls that freezes enemies. The iced foe floats to the top where they can be out of the way or act as platforms atop the water. If you’re clever enough, you can use the item to access hard to reach places.